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Privacy Policy

Name and contact information of the controller pursuant to Article 4(7) of the GDPR 

Security and Protection of Your Personal Data

We consider it our top priority to safeguard the confidentiality of the personal data you provide and to protect it from unauthorized access. That is why we exercise the utmost care and apply state-of-the-art security standards to ensure the highest level of protection for your personal data.

As a private-sector company, we are subject to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the provisions of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). We have implemented technical and organizational measures to ensure that data protection regulations are observed both by us and by our external service providers.

Definitions

The law requires that personal data be processed lawfully, fairly, and in a manner that is transparent to the data subject (“lawfulness, fairness, and transparency”). To ensure this, we are providing you with information about the specific legal definitions used in this Privacy Policy:

  1. Personal data
    “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as the “data subject”); A natural person is considered identifiable if they can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier, or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
  2. Processing
    “Processing” means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination, or any other form of making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction.
  3. Restriction of processing
    “Restriction of processing” means marking stored personal data with the aim of limiting its future processing.
  4. Profiling
    “Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of such personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements.
  5. Pseudonymization
    “Pseudonymization” means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data cannot be attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.
  6. File system
    “File system” means any structured collection of personal data accessible according to specific criteria, regardless of whether this collection is managed centrally, decentralized, or organized according to functional or geographical criteria.
  7. Controller
    “Controller” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.
  8. Processor
    “Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the controller.
  9. Recipient
    “Recipient” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body to whom personal data is disclosed, regardless of whether it is a third party or not. However, public authorities that may receive personal data in the course of a specific investigative mandate under Union law or the law of the Member States are not considered recipients; the processing of such data by those authorities is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection regulations in line with the purposes of the processing.
  10. Third Party
    “Third party” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body, other than the data subject, the controller, the processor, and the persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or the processor, are authorized to process the personal data.
  11. Consent
    “Consent” of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.

 

Lawfulness of Processing

The processing of personal data is lawful only if there is a legal basis for such processing. Pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) – (f) of the GDPR, the legal basis for processing may include, in particular:

  1. The data subject has given consent to the processing of personal data concerning him or her for one or more specific purposes;
  2. the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject’s request;
  3. the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;
  4. the processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person;
  5. the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
  6. the processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the controller or of a third party, unless such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

Information on the Collection of Personal Data

(1) Below, we provide information regarding the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data includes, for example, name, address, email addresses, and user behavior.

(2) When you contact us via email or through a contact form, the data you provide (your email address, and, if applicable, your name and phone number) will be stored by us in order to answer your questions. We will delete the data collected in this context once storage is no longer necessary, or processing will be restricted if statutory retention obligations apply.

Collection of Personal Data When Visiting Our Website

When you use the website for informational purposes only—that is, if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information—we collect only the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. When you view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security (the legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR):

  • IP address
  • Date and time of the request
  • Time zone difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
  • Content of the request (specific page)
  • Access status/HTTP status code
  • Amount of data transferred in each case
  • Website from which the request originates
  • Browser
  • Operating system and its interface
  • Language and version of the browser software.

 

Use of Cookies

(1) In addition to the data mentioned above, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive and associated with the browser you are using, and through which certain information is transmitted to the entity that sets the cookie. Cookies cannot execute programs or transfer viruses to your computer. They serve to make the website more user-friendly and effective overall.

(2) This website uses the following types of cookies, the scope and functionality of which are explained below:

  • Transient cookies (see a.)
  • Persistent cookies (see b.).
  1. Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. These include, in particular, session cookies. These store a so-called session ID, which allows various requests from your browser to be assigned to the same session. This enables your computer to be recognized when you return to our website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close your browser.
  2. Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the cookie. You can delete cookies at any time in your browser’s security settings.
  3. You can configure your browser settings according to your preferences and, for example, refuse to accept third-party cookies or all cookies. So-called “third-party cookies” are cookies set by a third party, and therefore not by the actual website you are currently visiting. Please note that by disabling cookies, you may not be able to use all features of this website.

Change cookie settings

Additional features and offers on our website

(1) In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you can use if interested. To do so, you generally need to provide additional personal data, which we use to provide the respective service and to which the aforementioned data processing principles apply.

(2) In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions, and are regularly monitored.

(3) Furthermore, we may share your personal data with third parties if promotional campaigns, contests, contract conclusions, or similar services are offered by us in collaboration with partners. You will receive further information on this when providing your personal data or in the description of the offer below.

(4) If our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you of the implications of this in the description of the offer.

Children

Our offer is generally intended for adults. Persons under the age of 18 should not submit any personal data to us without the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

Rights of the Data Subject

(1) Withdrawal of Consent

If the processing of personal data is based on consent you have provided, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out on the basis of consent prior to its withdrawal.

To exercise your right to withdraw consent, you may contact us at any time.

(2)Right to Confirmation

You have the right to request confirmation from the controller as to whether we are processing personal data concerning you. You may request this confirmation at any time using the contact details provided above.

(3) Right of access

If personal data is being processed, you may at any time request access to this personal data and to the following information:

  1. the purposes of the processing;
  2. the categories of personal data being processed;
  3. the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organizations;
  4. if possible, the planned duration for which the personal data will be stored, or, if this is not possible, the criteria for determining this duration;
  5. the existence of a right to rectification or erasure of the personal data concerning you, or to restriction of processing by the controller, or a right to object to such processing;
  6. the existence of a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
  7. if the personal data are not collected from the data subject, any available information regarding the origin of the data;
  8. the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR and—at least in such cases—meaningful information regarding the logic involved, as well as the significance and the intended consequences of such processing for the data subject.

If personal data is transferred to a third country or to an international organization, you have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 of the GDPR in connection with the transfer. We will provide a copy of the personal data that is the subject of the processing. For any further copies that you request, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs. If you submit the request electronically, the information shall be provided in a commonly used electronic format, unless you specify otherwise. The right to receive a copy pursuant to paragraph 3 shall not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

(4) Right to Rectification   

You have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate personal data concerning you without undue delay. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, you have the right to request that incomplete personal data be completed—including by means of a supplementary statement.

(5) Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”)

You have the right to request that the controller erase personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we are obligated to erase personal data without undue delay if one of the following grounds applies:

  1. The personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.
  2. The data subject withdraws their consent on which the processing was based pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) or Article 9(2)(a) of the GDPR, and there is no other legal basis for the processing.
  3. The data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) of the GDPR.
  4. The personal data has been processed unlawfully.
  5. The erasure of the personal data is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation under Union law or the law of the Member States to which the controller is subject.
  6. The personal data was collected in relation to information society services offered pursuant to Article 8(1) of the GDPR.

If the controller has made the personal data public and is obliged to erase it pursuant to paragraph 1, the controller shall, taking into account available technology and the cost of implementation, take reasonable measures, including technical measures, to inform controllers processing the personal data that a data subject has requested the erasure of all links to such personal data or of copies or replications of such personal data.

The right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) does not apply insofar as the processing is necessary:

  • for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and information;
  • to comply with a legal obligation which requires processing under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
  • for reasons of public interest in the area of public health pursuant to Article 9(2)(h) and (i) and Article 9(3) of the GDPR;
  • for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, insofar as the right referred to in paragraph 1 is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of such processing; or
  • for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

(6) Right to restriction of processing

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data if any of the following conditions apply:

  1. the accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data,
  2. the processing is unlawful and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests the restriction of their use instead;
  3. the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of processing, but the data subject needs it to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims, or
  4. the data subject has objected to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR, as long as it has not yet been determined whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.

If processing has been restricted in accordance with the above conditions, such personal data—apart from its storage—shall be processed only with the data subject’s consent or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of an important public interest of the Union or of a Member State.

To exercise the right to restriction of processing, the data subject may contact us at any time using the contact details provided above.

(7) Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit this data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to whom the personal data was provided, provided that:

  1. the processing is based on consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) or Article 9(2)(a) or on a contract pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, and
  1. the processing is carried out by automated means.

When exercising the right to data portability pursuant to paragraph 1, you have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another controller, to the extent that this is technically feasible. The exercise of the right to data portability does not affect the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”). This right does not apply to processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

(8) Right to Object

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you that is carried out pursuant to Article 6(1)(e) or (f) of the GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. The controller shall no longer process the personal data unless it can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override the interests, rights, and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing serves to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims.

If personal data is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data will no longer be processed for these purposes.

In connection with the use of information society services, you may exercise your right to object, notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, by means of automated procedures using technical specifications.

You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you that is carried out for scientific or historical research purposes or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1), unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

You may exercise your right to object at any time by contacting the respective controller.

(9) Automated individual decision-making, including profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing—including profiling—that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. This does not apply if the decision:

  1. is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between the data subject and the controller,
  2. is authorized by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, and that law provides for appropriate measures to safeguard the rights and freedoms as well as the legitimate interests of the data subject, or
  3. is based on the data subject’s explicit consent.

The controller shall take appropriate measures to safeguard the rights and freedoms and legitimate interests of the data subject, including at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view, and to contest the decision.

The data subject may exercise this right at any time by contacting the relevant controller.

(10) Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement, without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes this Regulation.

(11) Right to an effective judicial remedy

Without prejudice to any available administrative or non-judicial remedy, including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to an effective judicial remedy if you consider that your rights under this Regulation have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data in a manner inconsistent with this Regulation.

Newsletter

(1) We require your email address to send you the newsletter. You can subscribe via our website. The data is used exclusively for sending the newsletter.

(2) The data provided when subscribing to the newsletter is processed exclusively on the basis of your voluntary consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw your consent at any time. To withdraw your consent, simply send an informal email or use the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of data processing operations that have already taken place remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

(3) For this purpose, we use a service provider with whom a data processing agreement has been concluded.

Use of Google Analytics

(1) Provided you have given your consent, this website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. The service provider responsible in the EU is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).

Google Analytics uses cookies that enable an analysis of your use of our website. The information collected via cookies regarding your use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there.

The service includes the Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 modes. This makes it possible to associate data, sessions, and interactions across multiple devices with a pseudonymous user ID, thereby analyzing a user’s activities across devices. 

(2) Google Analytics uses so-called cookies—text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie regarding your use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. 

(3) However, if IP anonymization is enabled on this website, your IP address will be truncated by Google beforehand within member states of the European Union or in other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services related to website and internet usage to the website operator. These purposes also constitute our legitimate interest in data processing. 

(4) The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. The data we send and that is linked to cookies, user identifiers (e.g., user ID), or advertising IDs is automatically deleted after 14 months. Data that has reached its retention period is automatically deleted once a month. We base the transfer of data to the U.S. on the standard contractual clauses in place with Google, in conjunction with the technical and organizational measures implemented by Google.

(5) For more information on terms of use and data protection, please visit https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/us/

Integration of Google Maps

This site uses the Google Maps mapping service via an API. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

To use the features of Google Maps, it is necessary to store your IP address. This information is generally transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. We protect you from the immediate transmission of data to Google Maps with the two-click solution. The legal basis for data transmission and data collection within the framework of the two-click solution is Art. 6 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. a GDPR.

For more information on the handling of user data, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=de

Use of Social Media Plugins

(1) We currently use the following social media plugins: [Facebook, Xing, LinkedIn]. We use the so-called two-click solution. This means that when you visit our site, no personal data is initially passed on to the plugin providers. You can identify the plugin provider by the label on the box indicating its initial letter or logo. We provide you with the option to communicate directly with the plugin provider via the button. Only when you click on the marked field and thereby activate it does the plugin provider receive the information that you have accessed the corresponding website of our online offering. In addition, the data specified in § 3 of this statement is transmitted. In the case of Facebook and Xing, according to the respective providers, the IP address is anonymized immediately after collection in Germany. By activating the plug-in, your personal data is therefore transmitted to the respective plug-in provider and stored there (in the case of U.S. providers, in the United States).

(2) We have no influence over the data collected or the data processing operations, nor are we aware of the full scope of data collection, the purposes of processing, or the retention periods. We also have no information regarding the deletion of the collected data by the plug-in provider.

(3) The plug-in provider stores the data collected about you as user profiles and uses these for the purposes of advertising, market research, and/or the needs-based design of its website. Such analysis is carried out in particular (even for users who are not logged in) to display needs-based advertising and to inform other users of the social network about your activities on our website. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles; to exercise this right, you must contact the respective plug-in provider. Through the plug-ins, we offer you the opportunity to interact with social networks and other users, enabling us to improve our services and make them more interesting for you as a user. The legal basis for the use of the plug-ins is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. 6 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. a GDPR.

(4) Data is transferred regardless of whether you have an account with the plug-in provider and are logged in there. If you are logged in with the plug-in provider, the data we collect about you is directly associated with your existing account with the plug-in provider. If you click the activated button and, for example, share the page, the plug-in provider also stores this information in your user account and shares it publicly with your contacts. We recommend that you log out regularly after using a social network, but especially before activating the button, as this allows you to avoid association with your profile at the plug-in provider.

(5) For further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and its processing by the plugin provider, please refer to the privacy policies of these providers listed below. There you will also find further information regarding your rights in this regard and settings options for protecting your privacy.

(6) Addresses of the respective plug-in providers and URLs with their privacy policies:

  1. Facebook Inc., 1601 S California Ave, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA; http://www.facebook.com/policy.php; further information on data collection: https://www.facebook.com/help/186325668085084?locale=en_US&cms_id=186325668085084, www.facebook.com/about/privacy/your-info-on-other as well as www.facebook.com/about/privacy/your-info.

When transferring data to the U.S., we rely on the standard contractual clauses in place with Facebook in conjunction with the technical and organizational measures implemented by Facebook.

  1. Xing AG, Gänsemarkt 43, 20354 Hamburg, DE; http://www.xing.com/privacy.

3.LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, California 94043, USA; www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy. When transferring data to the United States, we rely on the standard contractual clauses in place with LinkedIn Corporation in conjunction with the technical and organizational measures implemented by LinkedIn Corporation.

Facebook-Pixel

This website incorporates a pixel from Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA, or, if you are located in the EU, Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (“Facebook”). This pixel transmits information about the use of this website (e.g., information about articles viewed) to Facebook.

This information may be associated with you using additional information that Facebook has stored about you, for example, based on your ownership of an account on the social network. Based on the information collected via the pixel, interest-based advertisements for our offerings may, for example, be displayed to you in your Facebook account (retargeting).

The information collected via the pixel may also be aggregated by Facebook, and the aggregated information may be used by Facebook for its own advertising purposes as well as for the advertising purposes of third parties. For example, Facebook may infer certain interests based on your browsing behavior on this website and use this information to promote third-party offers. Facebook may also combine the information collected via the pixel with other information that Facebook has collected about you through other websites and/or in connection with your use of the “Facebook” social network, so that a profile about you may be stored on Facebook. This profile may be used for advertising purposes.

Facebook is solely responsible for the permanent storage and the described further processing of the tracking data collected via the pixel used on this website. In this context, Facebook, as the sole data controller under data protection law, may store data about you in the United States. The European Court of Justice has determined with regard to the United States that it is a country with an insufficient level of data protection. In this context, there is a particular risk that your data may be processed by U.S. institutions or authorities for monitoring and surveillance purposes without you having sufficient legal recourse against such processing. The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR (consent).

You can find more information about data protection on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php. Here you will also find the option to exercise your data subject rights (e.g., the right to erasure) against Facebook.

You can also find specific information and details about the Facebook Pixel and how it works in Facebook’s Help Center. You can revoke your consent to the transfer of data to Facebook through the use of the Pixel on this website at https://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices or refuse to grant consent to the use of Facebook Retargeting.